Author(s):

Abstract:

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) has traditionally been used in Chinese medicine as a chief ingredient of Lycium barbarum (wolf berry/goji berry) for the treatment of various diseases with the symptoms of frequent drinking and urination. This study was conducted as a randomized, controlled clinical trial. A total of 67 patients with type 2 diabetes (30 in control group and 37 in LBP group) were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, double-blind study (administration at 300mg/day body weight). In order to observe the hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering activity of LBP in patients with type 2 diabetes after dinner, various tests were conducted between control and LBP intervention groups in 3 months. Although, the study had small sample size and short follow-up, significant findings were observed. The results of our study indicated a remarkable protective effect of LBP in patients with type 2 diabetes. Serum glucose was found to be significantly decreased and insulinogenic index increased during OMTT after 3 months administration of LBP. LBP also increased HDL levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. It showed more obvious hypoglycemic efficacy for those people who did not take any hypoglycemic medicine compared to patients taking hypoglycemic medicines. This study showed LBP to be a good potential treatment aided-agent for type 2 diabetes.

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Affiliation:

Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine and Engineering of Ministry of Education, and Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Dingjia Qiao 87, Nanjing 210009, P.R. China.